


It's Dangerous to Go Alone

by EclipseOfTheWild



Series: Linked Universe Oneshots [5]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Amputation, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Did I Mention Angst?, Drowning, Fever, Hallucinations, I'm Sorry, Panic Attacks, Some Warriors angst in there, This is the darkest fic I've done so far, Well Nearly Drowning, Wind angst, a bit of Hyrule angst, because there's angst, but proceed with caution, it isn't too graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 19:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20431535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EclipseOfTheWild/pseuds/EclipseOfTheWild
Summary: 'I have to get up; this is nothing. This is nothing. I’m a hero, I can handle this, I’ve dealt with worse, I’m fine.'He wasn’t fine.





	It's Dangerous to Go Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this is pretty dark honestly, but it does get better!
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy!

It was a pretty calm day for the Links. The amount of monsters had been slim to none, and most of the day had been spent exploring the area. 

They were currently in Hyrule’s Hyrule, and they decided to set up camp for the night inside of a small cave.

“Hey Wild, you don’t happen to have any firewood stored away in that magic box of yours, do you?” Legend inquired as he laid his bedroll on the stone floor.

“First of all, it’s a Sheikah Slate.” Wild pulled the device off his belt, “Second of all, no, I think we used the last of it in my Hyrule and I forgot to stock up on more.”

Legend groaned, “Great, now we have to go get some more wood.”

Hyrule raised his hand, “I know where there’s a decent amount of wood we could use; I could go pick some up really quick and bring it back!”

“Okay, but take someone with you, it may have been pretty peaceful today, but that could change at any time.” Time chimed in, making Wind jump up.

“I can go! It would be a great opportunity to take some pictures!” He held his Pictobox aloft, already enthusiastic.

“As long as you two stick together, and get back here quickly, I suppose you can stop to take a few pictures.” The eldest nodded, before turning back to his belongings.

Wind offered a salute before turning and sprinting out of the cave, Hyrule just behind him. The sun was just starting to set, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange. The surrounding area was mostly just an open field with rocky cliffs surrounding almost all sides.

Almost immediately, Wind’s Pictobox was in his hand, snapping pictures as Hyrule led the way through the field and the trees. He and Wild would enjoy looking at them later after he got back to camp.

“Here it is!” Hyrule finally exclaimed, picking up speed towards some fallen branches, “The trees here tend to lose a lot of branches due to storms and such, so it’s a good place to find firewood!”

The two boys quickly sorted through the fallen branches, looking for the ones they would be able to carry back to camp. After bundling a few together, the two began their trek back to the cave. 

By that point, the sun had nearly completely set; the clouds overhead seemingly darker than before. Surprisingly, it was dead silent, as if the world was on pause. Even the wind seemed to have stilled in anticipation of something. Then, a rustling sound came from the undergrowth near the trees, gaining both of the boys’ attention.

Just moments later, a monster came leaping out, spear in hand, and aiming straight for Hyrule.

…

It was Wind’s quick reflexes that saved the day. As soon as the monster showed itself, he had his sword drawn and leaped in front of Hyrule, just barely deflecting the monster’s weapon. It hissed in anger, backing off slightly before screeching as loud as it could.

In response, more monsters crawled out of the undergrowth, growling viciously at the two heroes. 

The monsters themselves were fairly similar to lizalfos, since they resembled a giant lizard, and they seemed to have some sort of cognitive ability that went beyond just stabbing the nearest person.

A silent understanding seemed to pass between the lizalfo-like creatures, and the first monster pointed one of its claws at Wind, cackling mockingly. The others drew their weapons, following the first’s example as they seemed to laugh at Wind and Hyrule.

“Wind, we need to get out of here.” Hyrule stated, pulling his sword from its sheath, “Those are Gerus, probably one of the toughest monsters I’ve met outside of a dungeon. They’re fairly intelligent, and in large groups like this they are extremely difficult to deal with.” 

“We’ve dealt with plenty of monsters, and besides, we’ve gotten much stronger over the course of our journey together, so these guys should be a piece of cake!” Wind smiled encouragingly, making Hyrule consider for a moment.  
The brunette smiled in return, “Yeah, I suppose you’re right, we got this!”

And with that, the two leaped into battle.

…

Wind had underestimated them.

As soon as the two heroes got within range, the first Geru stabbed its spear towards Hyrule once again, making him block with his shield, but he was knocked down by a kick from another monster who had snuck up next to the boys.

“Hyrule!” Wind shouted as the other boy fell to the ground, unconscious.

While the blonde boy was distracted, one of the Geru leaped forward, hoping to catch him unaware. Thankfully he reacted quickly, stabbing the monster with his sword, monster blood spraying onto his clothes. Wind pulled his blade out, turning towards the other Gerus.

The hero positioned himself to stand in front of Hyrule, ready to protect him from the group of monsters. The first Geru almost seemed to be smirking as it growled something to the others. Suddenly, they all ran at him at once, but when he raised his sword to block, they simply ran around him, heading straight for Hyrule.

“No!” 

In his panic, he didn’t notice that one of the Gerus had stayed back. Wind only realized when he heard a cackle just behind him, and by then, it was too late. 

He felt the wood of its weapon colliding with his skull, and he knew no more.

…

Hyrule slowly came back to consciousness, groaning from the pain. 

_That Geru got a pretty good kick in._

It took him a few seconds to process. 

_The Gerus! Wind!_ Hyrule panicked, suddenly way more alert.

He quickly glanced around, looking for any sign of his companion, finding nothing but monster blood and…Wind’s sword? He wouldn’t have just abandoned his sword, nor would he have abandoned Hyrule himself, so that means that…

The Gerus must have taken Wind.

For what reason, Hyrule wasn’t sure, but at the moment, that really didn’t matter. What mattered was getting back to the others and _finding Wind_. The brunette quickly put away his sword and shield, scooping up Wind’s sword and dashing back towards the camp.

The moon had long since rose into the sky, its soft glow guiding him through the wilderness. Hyrule was unbelievably grateful that this was his Hyrule, because he probably wouldn’t be able to navigate back to the others if it wasn’t. 

_It was your Hyrule that even caused this mess in the first place._ His mind helpfully supplied, _It was your fault. You should’ve been able to defeat the monsters in your own Hyrule._

Hyrule pushed his thoughts to the side for the moment. He didn’t have time to be thinking like that, right now he had to focus on getting to camp. Just ahead he could just barely see the opening of the cave, the familiar blue glow of Wild’s Sheikah Slate emanating from it.

Picking up speed, Hyrule raced straight into camp, immediately alarming the others.

“Hyrule, what’s wrong? Where’s Wind?” Time immediately took charge, placing a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder.

“Got ambushed…too many…overwhelmed…took Wind.” Hyrule panted, still trying to catch his breath.

Warriors cut in, “Okay, hold on, slow down there, who took Wind?”

The brunette swallowed thickly, “Wind and I got ambushed by monsters when we were getting firewood, and we were overwhelmed and I got knocked out. When I came to, Wind was gone and his sword was abandoned on the ground.” Hyrule lifted the sword in question, the blade still coated in monster blood.

Everyone looked down, each of their faces filled with anger. These monsters took one of their own, of their _family_, and they were going to pay.

Time stood up, “Alright, we need to find Wind as soon as possible, and we can’t afford to wait until daylight. Travelling in a big group will unfortunately slow down the search, so Wild and Twilight will go and search for him since they’re the best trackers. Hyrule, I want you to go with them, since you know more about these monsters than we do.”

The three boys nodded before turning and sprinting out of the cave and into the night.

Hopefully Wind would be alright when they found him.

Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

…

The first thing Wind registered was the throbbing pain in his head. Disoriented, he cracks open one of his eyes, shutting it almost immediately when he was greeted with a bright orange glow. Steeling himself, he looked again, seeing the exact opposite of what he wanted to.

In front of a large bonfire sat a group of Gerus, who seemed to be chatting amongst themselves, occasionally cackling. He suddenly became aware of the ropes that were tightened around his chest, restraining him to whatever hard surface was behind him.

Wind remembered that he and Hyrule had gotten attacked, and that he had gotten knocked out when he was attempting to protect the other boy from the monsters. The hero risked a quick scan of the area, not seeing any sign of Hyrule nearby.

_Maybe they had decided to leave him alone? Hopefully he’s alright and the others are on their way._

He barely refrained himself from groaning; he was the Hero of Wind, and yet he got himself _kidnapped_. Wind had defeated Ganondorf himself, and he got taken down by some overgrown lizards.

Wind then noticed that silence had fallen over the monster camp. He started panicking; did they know he was awake? Feigning unconsciousness, the hero remained still, waiting. Footsteps approached where he sat, stopping just next to him.

A few moments passed, no sound was heard, then, a force collided with his gut, forcing his eyes open in pure shock, lips parted, gasping for air. The Gerus erupted with laughter, mocking his pain like it was a joke, the noise making the pounding in his head that much worse.

Without warning, the Geru who was standing next to him cut the ropes away, yanking him up. Wind tugged against the monster’s grip, but he minus well be trying to break through steel. The other Gerus were cheering it on, calling out in growls and hollers of glee.  
The monster dragged him to the edge of the camp, where a large lake stretched out beyond them. The two of them stood in a fairly shallow part of it, the water coming up to Wind’s knees, when the Geru suddenly kicked his legs out from underneath him, sending him crashing underneath the water.

Immediately, Wind starts to push himself to the surface, but a firm, clawed hand keeps his head just under the water. No matter how much he kicks and flails, he can’t reach the surface, he can’t _breathe_.

Just as he’s about to black out, the hand yanks his head out of the water, just barely allowing him to gasp for air before shoving him straight back in. The Geru continues to do this over and over and over, Wind being able to faintly hear the other monsters laughing over the pounding panic in his head every time he surfaced.

Water was everywhere; it held him in its deadly embrace, forcing him to hold his breath until his chest grew tight from lack of oxygen. The little oxygen he did get really only kept him alive. Cackles echoed in his ears, water flowed through his vision; air was lost to him over and over and over again. 

He just wanted to _breathe_.

_I’m scared._

…

“So this is where you got ambushed?” Wild asked, crouching down to inspect the monster blood.

Hyrule nodded, looking down at the grass. Twilight had split off from Wild and Hyrule shortly before they reached the area, saying it was to scout around and cover more ground. Shortly after, Wolfie joined them, immediately getting to work and sniffing the area for Wind’s scent.  
"It’s not your fault, you know.” The champion’s voice made him jump, his head snapping up to stare at Wild, who hadn’t looked up.

“What?” 

“Look, I know self-blame when I see it, and right now, you’re blaming yourself for Wind’s kidnapping, am I right?” Wild didn’t wait for a reply, “You couldn’t have guessed that you were going to be ambushed, and you weren’t the one who planned the ambush in the first place, so how in the name of Hylia is it your fault?”

Hyrule averted his gaze, “If I was a real hero like you guys, then I could’ve been strong enough to actually defeat monsters _from my own Hyrule_. I wouldn’t have been knocked down, forcing Wind to protect both of us. He would still be here, smiling and taking pictures, but instead he’s who knows where with a bunch of Gerus!”

Wild finally stood up, silently gesturing in one direction. The three trekked onwards underneath the moonlight.

“Hyrule, look, being a hero isn’t just about being able to defeat monsters. It’s not just about charging into battle with some holy sword in hand. Being a hero is about choosing to go out and make a difference, to stand up and fight when nobody else will, to have the heart to want to protect people.” Wild stated as they walked, “And besides, anyone can pick up a sword, anyone can go out and start slaying some monsters, but when you get knocked down? Having the will to get back up again, to keep moving forward? That takes strength.”

Hyrule let a small smile form on his face, “Thanks Wild.”

The other boy grinned, “Now, let’s go save Wind, yeah?”

With that, the three continued on, following the trail left behind by the Gerus, hoping to find their companion.

Not too far away, single bolt of lightning crashed into the earth, shaking the ground.

…

The hand holding his head underwater suddenly disappeared.

Wind immediately kicked himself up above the surface, scrambling out of the lake. He gasped for air, greedily gulping in the plentiful oxygen. Shivers racked his body, whether it was because of the wind or his fear, he wasn’t sure. 

It registered that the Gerus were silent; they hadn’t made a sound since he had surfaced. Wind turned to look at the camp, only to see the first Geru crouched over the charred bodies of its group, growling. What had happened to them?

Thunder rumbled overhead, snapping him out of his thoughts. He needed to get out of there, he had to get _away_. Wind shakily pushed himself up and half-stumbled half-ran out of the monster camp, his escape <s>hopefully</s> not noticed by the Geru.

He snagged one of the Gerus’ axes as he ran by, just in case.

Rain was starting to pour, making the ground muddy and slippery. The water wasn’t doing much, since he was already wet, but feeling the water on his face reminded him far too much of being submerged in it. It certainly didn’t help that he was running alongside the very lake he had been drowning in. Mud and water splashed up onto his ankles and shoes as he ran.

Wind remembered that he had seen a lake somewhere near camp, so, unfortunately, his best option was to run around to the other side of the lake and hope that the cave was there. 

A crack suddenly sounded from next him; he turned, only to see a large tree falling directly towards him. Wind attempted to leap out of the way of the log, but he slipped on the mud, falling straight into the water, the tree just behind him.

Wind nearly blacked out from the sudden surge of pain in his left arm. He felt a weight that had settled on top of it, keeping his arm in place. He spared a glance at it, only to almost faint in the water.

The log had landed directly onto his arm.

…

“This is where that lightning must have struck.” Hyrule noted, seeing the bodies of the Gerus. The only one who wasn’t charred had several stab wounds, curtesy of Wild.

Wild was looking at the cut ropes, “Wind must have used the opportunity to escape, but since it’s raining, we can’t track him with Wolfie anymore.”

The champion examined the camp grounds before pointing at small footprints leading away from the area, “But, the mud makes it much easier to track by footprints. We have to hurry though, because eventually the rain will wash them away.”  
Hyrule and Wolfie followed the resident cook as they once again set off after Wind.

_I hope that he’s okay._ Hyrule thought.

…

Wind was panicking. 

He was stuck underneath a giant log, and his arm was very much crushed because of it, and he was back under the water, unable to get out. He couldn’t even rely on any Geru to allow him to get any air; he was going to die here.

Then, he saw two fish-like creatures rushing towards him in the water. Their eyes gleaming with hunger as they approached. Through the haze of his terror, Wind remembered the axe he had grabbed. He looked around, seeing it lying just out of arms reach. Improvising, he grabbed a small branch that sat next to him.

As soon as the first fish-creature came close, he jammed the stick right into its eye, making it reel back, silently screaming. Wind quickly pulled the piece of wood back holding the makeshift weapon in front of him defensively. 

It was getting harder to hold his breath.

The pain was still very apparent, distracting him just long enough for the other monster to charge straight for him, teeth bared as it swam in for the kill. Wind barely maneuvered out of the way, its claws grazing his good arm.

Instead of hitting him, it rammed straight into the log, rolling it back further down his arm. He bit down on his tongue to keep from screaming, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. He noticed that the axe has been pushed forward slightly, allowing him to grab it.

His first thought was to take out the fish creatures, but he realized that would still leave him stuck underwater. From what he could tell, they wanted to eat him, so that meant that…

A plan formed in his head.

If those monsters wanted food, they would get it.

Grabbing the stick and jamming it into his mouth, Wind brought the axe down on his arm.

…

Warriors was stressed, to say the least. Ever since Hyrule had left with Wild and Twi to find Wind, he had been beyond anxious. His brother was out there somewhere, alone, in a storm, possibly in enemy territory, and there was _nothing_ he could do.

Time and Four had quickly run out and grabbed some small sticks, since it was way too dark to see. So there was a small fire burning in the center of camp.

Warriors had taken to pacing around the cave, glancing at the entrance every five seconds or so, until Legend finally got fed up.

“Could you knock it off with the pacing already? It isn’t going to make them come back any faster.” He snapped, making the other boy stop and look at him.

“Well I’m _sorry_. Does my stress and worry about my little brother _bother_ you? Does me feeling completely and utterly helpless about this entire situation _annoy_ you? Well I am _so sorry_ for inconveniencing you, your worship!” Warriors’ words were filled with pure malice.

Legend growled, “Maybe you should have a bit more faith in him. He’s a hero _just_ like the rest of us! Or do you think that he’s weak? That he can’t take care of himself? That you have to coddle him like a child?”

“Of course I don’t!” Warriors’ shoulders sagged, “I just…I can’t help but worry, you know? I care for him and knowing that he’s out there, in danger, just hurts me so much. I know he’s strong, I’ve never doubted that, I just want him to be safe.”

The other boy stayed silent for a few moments, “I’m worried too, but we need to have faith in him, yeah? He’ll be okay.”

Warriors stared at the storm outside, “I sure hope so.”

…

Wind’s chest was tight, the edges of his vision started to darken from the lack of air.

He felt wood cracking as he bit down on the stick. Red colored the murky waters as blood flowed from the gaping wound in his arm. The fish creatures charged forward, disregarding the danger and chomping down on his forearm.

Their strong jaws crushed through the bone, freeing Wind from both the log and his forearm.

He wasted no time swimming to the surface, surprisingly numb about what just happened.

Wind gasped as he reached land, collapsing on the muddy ground. It was still raining, doing nothing for his already soaked body. His arm was bleeding heavily, even as he covered it with his hand.

He couldn’t leave it as it was, he would bleed out. Wind ripped a piece of cloth from his clothing, tying it just above his elbow as tight as he could. The best choice would be to…remove the rest of his arm, but he lost his axe so that was no longer possible.  
Wind would have to make do with what he had.

The boy shakily pushed himself to his feet, he had to keep moving; he had to get back to camp. Wind continued along the side of the lake, taking care to stay away from the very edge. He started to feel…strange as time went on.

Wind coughed, his entire body shaking. Was he getting sick?

“Big brother!” A girl’s voice suddenly called out. He recognized it as his sister's voice.

“Aryll…?” Wind muttered, deliriously look around, “Aryll, where are you?”

He stumbled away from the water’s edge, heading into a small patch of woods. A giggle echoed through the trees, a blue dress just disappearing out of sight. Wind attempted to follow, but tripped and fell to the forest floor.

“…Aryll…come back.” He whispered.

“What are you doing, Wind?” 

Wind recognized the long blue scarf of Warriors, the older boy’s arms were crossed; face set in disappointment, “Well? Why are you just sitting around here? Waiting for some monsters to come and finish you off?”

His brother crouched down, “Or are you just too much of a weakling to get up? Since when has something as insignificant as your arm stopped a hero from saving Hyrule?” 

“Well, he’s just a kid, after all, you can’t expect too much from him.” Another voice piped up. It was Twilight.

“Oh please, don’t make excuses for him, I’m a kid and I’m plenty strong. He’s just not meant to be a hero. Heck, he had to go and _collect_ his piece of the Triforce! It didn't even want him in the first place!” Four butted in.

Legend groaned, “We should just leave him here, why bother dragging along a deadweight like him any longer?” 

“Let’s go, if Wind wants to stay here and pout about his injuries, let him.” Time rolled his eyes, leading the group away from Wind, despite his protests.

“Wait! Please don’t leave me! I’ll do better, I promise!” He shouted, receiving no response. 

“…Please.”

Wind struggled to pick himself up, before falling right back down as he was overcome with a coughing fit. 

_I have to get up; this is nothing. This is nothing. I’m a hero, I can handle this, I’ve dealt with worse, I’m fine._

He wasn’t fine.

…

Wild, Hyrule, and ‘Wolfie’ were running along the shore of the lake, following Wind’s footprints. Thankfully, the tracks were still fresh, so the rain hadn’t washed them away yet, which meant that Wind was going to be easier to find, and that they weren’t far behind him.

Just then, something red caught Wild’s eye in the lake. He stopped to look, and saw something that made his heart drop. It was blood. 

“Don’t tell me…” Wild trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Wait, look!” Hyrule pointed at footprints leading away from the lake, along with droplets of blood.

Without another word, the trio resumed running, now with much more urgency. Wind was injured, and from the looks of it, it was pretty bad. The trail led into a small forest, the footprints getting more and more unrecognizable, like Wind had been stumbling.  
Hyrule spotted him first.

“Oh- oh god.” He gasped, hands flying up to his mouth, eyes widening with pure horror. 

Wild, confused, looked at what had upset him and nearly threw up. Wolfie, or Twi, had a similar expression of horror on his face.

Just in front of them, lied Wind, face down on the muddy ground, soaking wet. 

And his _arm_. 

His forearm was missing; leaving a mangled mess like it had been gnawed off by an animal. Even from where they stood, they could see that Wind’s breathing was erratic and shaky. He had tied a piece of cloth around his arm, most likely to prevent more blood flow.

The three finally snapped out of their shock, running to his side, gently rolling him over.

“Don’t…leave…me….” Wind muttered, eyes unfocused, weakly attempting to raise his hand.

Hyrule tentatively rested his hand on the blonde boy’s forehead, “He’s burning up! We need to get him back to camp so we can properly treat him; especially his arm, which, by the looks of things, might have gotten infected.”

“I’ll carry him. Hyrule, I want you to ride on Wolfie; we’ll get back faster that way.” Wild gently hoisted Wind up, careful to not jostle his arm.

Twilight crouched down a bit, allowing Hyrule to climb on his back. Not sparing another moment, Wild and Twi started running straight for the camp. Hyrule navigated them from on top of ‘Wolfie’, surprisingly not getting them lost.

With his directions and the speed of Wild and Twi, they soon spotted a cave with the orange glow of fire emitting from it. Wild spared a look down at Wind, who appeared to be barely conscious, muttering incoherently.

His arm was still dripping blood, but thanks to the cloth, it wasn’t as much as it would have been. However, even in the rain, Wild could see that the area of the injury had become red and swollen, which was quite concerning.

They burst into the cave, startling the others, “Get the medical supplies, _now_. Wind needs treatment immediately!” Wild commanded, and as the Links took in Wind’s condition, their shock slowly changed to horror.

Hyrule jumped off of Wolfie’s back, the wolf dashing out of the cave, “Hurry! I need potions, bandages, and…a sterile blade.”

Everyone leapt into motion- Twilight joining them a few seconds later as he came barreling into camp- running around to gather everything Hyrule needed; everyone except Warriors.

“I’ll do it.” 

Hyrule’s eyes widened, “Warriors, you don’t have to, it’s ok-“

“No, _I_ have to do it. He’s my brother.” Warriors stared at the brunette, challenging him to disagree. 

His shoulders sagged, “…Okay.”

A little while later had Wind laid down on the ground, potions and bandages placed next to him. Warriors held his sword, which he had thoroughly disinfected and cleaned. He took a deep breath, composing himself.

“Okay, three of you need to hold down each of Wind’s limbs, he’s going to try to move around a lot, but he could hurt himself if he does. I’m counting on you guys.” 

The group elected Time, Twi, and Legend, each one doing their best to collect themselves, as they gripped onto the suddenly way-too-small boy’s limbs, the reality of the situation hitting them like a hammer.

Warriors crouched down, taking off his blue scarf and wrapping it tightly around Wind’s shoulder. He had to prevent the blood flow.

“As soon as I…remove the arm…Hyrule, I need you to apply the potion to the wound immediately, got it?” Hyrule nodded, hands shaking, his eyes determined.

The older boy lifted his sword, keeping his hand steady, and swung the sword down.

Wind’s screams echoed throughout the cave.

…

Warriors’ face was set in stone, but internally he was _sobbing_. Over all the time he been on the battlefield, he had to perform this kind of procedure so many times, he had gotten used to it. Yet, watching as his sword cut into his little brother’s arm, it was like his first time all over again.

_”His arm can’t be saved! You have to cut it off! You know how to do it, so do it!” The commander shouted at a shaking Warriors._

_“I- I can’t!” His voice cracked with emotion as he looked at the suffering soldier._

_“Do it you fool!” The man yelled, fighting the oncoming monsters._

_Tears pouring from his eyes, he brought his sword down on the poor soldier’s arm._

_He didn’t speak for a week after that.___

_ _It was an excruciating few minutes; Wind’s screams had long since quieted, most likely because he lost his voice. Warriors’ fact was tight with visible stress as Hyrule poured potion on the gaping wound where Wind’s arm once was._ _

_ _The brunette stepped in the wrap Wind’s shoulder with bandages, and Warriors threw his sword as far away as he could as he began shaking violently. Tears rolled down his face and he collapsed to the ground crying._ _

_ _“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He sobbed, staring down at his hands._ _

_ _Everyone else stared on, unsure of what to do. What could they possibly say? They couldn’t say everything was okay, because really, right now it wasn’t. They weren’t even sure if things would truly _ever_ be okay, not after this.  
Not after what happened to Wind._ _

_ _…  
Wind slowly came back to the world of consciousness, blearily blinking the sleep out of his eyes. He went to reach his arm to rub his eyes, but it didn’t respond. He looked over at his left arm in confusion, only to find nothing there._ _

_ _His arm was…gone._ _

_ _Suddenly the memories from the night before slammed into him. His arm was gone, it was gone and it’s never coming back. _ _

_ _He felt numb, unsure of how to react. How does one react to this? Horror? Shock? What does he _do_?_ _

_ _“Wind? Are you awake, kiddo?” Time’s voice inquired, making him turn to look at him in shock._ _

_ _“What…why am I here? Didn’t you guys…leave me?” His voice was small._ _

_ _Time looked confused, “What are you talking about, we’d never leave you.” _ _

_ _“You…you sure?” Had he been dreaming?_ _

_ _“Positive, kiddo.” The eldest Link smiled softly._ _

_ _“Thanks, Time.” Wind still looked downcast, “Can…can I ask you something?”_ _

_ _Time nodded, gesturing him to go on._ _

_ _Wind sighed, “Am I…still a hero? I mean…I lost my arm and I can’t- I can’t use a sword anymore so, I’ll just be…deadweight.”_ _

_ _“Wind, listen to me, you aren’t deadweight, you could never be deadweight. Even if you can’t swing a sword, you’re still a valued member of our family. And it might take a while, but you can learn to use your sword with your right hand, too!” Time placed a hand on his right shoulder, smiling reassuringly._ _

_ _“I can help with that, actually!” Wild cut in, “I remember I used to be left handed back before I joined the knights in my Hyrule, but I had to learn to use my right instead, so I could teach you if you want!”_ _

_ _Wind let a small smile appear on his face, “Really?”_ _

_ _“Yeah! We can start when you’re all better, okay?” Wild grinned, glad to have improved the younger boy’s mood. The younger nodded happily in affirmation._ _

_ _Wind look around at the other Links. Legend and Four were conversing about something nearby, Sky was sleeping against the wall, Twilight was changing some bandages on Hyrule’s head, and Warriors was-_ _

_ _Where was Warriors?_ _

_ _“Warriors needed some time to himself, last night was…unpleasant for him, to say the least.” Time seemed to read his thoughts, “He’ll be back soon though I’m sure.”_ _

_ _Wind nodded, but he felt a small pit of worry form in his gut. _ _

_ _ _Hopefully he’s okay.___ _ _

_ _ _ _…_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Warriors eventually returned, but he wouldn’t look Wind in the eye. He simply silently slinked into camp, heading straight for the back of the cave, refusing to talk to anyone. Sitting down against the stone wall, he stared at his hands with a frown on his face. Throughout the day, a few of the others approached him, talking in hushed whispers, only to be politely waved off by Warriors with a strained smile._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Wind wished he could comfort him somehow, but the younger boy could see the glances he sent at where his left arm was, he could see the guilt and despair shining in his brother’s eyes. Right now, Warriors could barely manage to look at him without nearly breaking down._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _So, Wind kept his distance._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _…_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Soon enough, Wind had improved enough that the group was able to resume their travels. Almost immediately after setting out, the world shifted itself, morphing and twisting, shaping the land into what the Links recognized as Twi’s Hyrule._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“The goddesses were really impatient to get us out of there, huh?” Legend joked, earning a few half-hearted chuckles._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _The mood had been fairly downcast after everything that went down; especially with Warriors having gone completely mute. His normal grins had long since disappeared, barely even managing a fake smile. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Time turned to the others and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly a horn sounded. The Links looked around, confused. Not even a minute later, a small army of bulbins came charging over a small hill, clubs raised high. Immediately, everyone drew their weapons, ready for a fight._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _In the moment, nobody noticed the shaking of Warriors’ hand as he gripped his sword._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Alright, let’s try to deal with these guys quickly, but stay on guard, they could have gotten stronger like the other monsters.” Time warned, earning nods from the others._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _With no hesitation, the Links leapt into battle._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _… _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _As soon as Warriors clashed with the first bulbin, he felt an apparent wrongness when he swung his sword. The metal dug into the club, sending splinters flying as the wood strained under the pressure. Using his strength to his advantage, Warriors pulled his sword back, ripping the club out of the bulblin’s hand._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _He pulled the piece of wood off of his blade and crashed his blade into the monster’s flesh. It screamed with pain. Screaming. Screaming like Wind. Wind had screamed when Warriors cut into his flesh. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _He had hurt him. He had hurt his brother._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Warriors felt his sword drop out of his hand as his knees hit the ground. His breathing picked up, his hands gripping his hair._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Screams echoed in his head, crimson red filled his vision; the color of Wind’s blood. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ __’Warriors!’_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Wind’s arm was gone, and he cut it off. He was a monster. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _’Warriors, please, can you hear me?’_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Who was…calling for him?_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _’Please, it’s Wind! You have to breathe!’_ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Warriors saw a blurry shape; the messy, windblown hair was immediately recognizable. Wind was shaking him gently with his one remaining hand. He was calling for him. Warriors looked at Wind's missing arm, tears rolling down his face._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I’m sorry.” Warriors whispered, “I’m so sorry.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _As Wind became clearer, the older boy could see the apparent confusion on his face, “It’s…it’s gone…because of me.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Understanding dawned in his eyes, “Warriors, it isn’t your fault. If you didn’t do what you did, I could’ve _died_. You saved my life, big brother.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Warriors sobbed, hugging Wind tightly._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Wind hugged him back with his one arm, letting him cry. After what happened, after what he went through for Wind’s sake, Warriors needed this. He needed his brother. So the two embraced each other as Warriors sobbed into the younger boy’s blonde hair. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I’m sorry.” He repeated, over and over._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I know; it’s going to be alright.” Wind replied, “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday. It’ll be okay.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“I promise.”_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _…_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Eventually, things did get better. Wild started teaching Wind to use his right hand more, and he picked it up surprisingly quickly. In no time at all, he was back out on the battlefield with his friends- no, with his _family_, battling the darkness together. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _Warriors sometimes still did have trouble using his sword, but with Wind’s help, he started to let go of his guilt. _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _The ordeal wasn’t forgotten, no, not at all. Wind still had his fair share of nightmares from the experience, but with his big brother at his side, not to mention all the other Links, he could battle any demons, even the ones in his head._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Hey, Wind! I’m heading out to get some supplies, want to come?” Warriors grinned, ruffling the younger boy’s hair._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _“Yeah! Let’s go, big brother!” Wind jumped up, grabbing his Pictobox from his side._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _Things were going to be okay._ _ _ _ _


End file.
